Alert archive / Michigan / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1986

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 12, NWS Grand Rapids, MI

May 17, 1986Jackson County, Michigan

NWS Grand Rapids, MI issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 17, 1986, 9:26 PM EDT for Jackson County, Michigan. It was in force for 34 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
May 17, 1986, 9:26 PM EDT (01:26 UTC)
Expired
May 17, 1986, 10:00 PM EDT
In force
34 min
Issued by
NWS Grand Rapids, MI
Area
Whole counties

County Jackson County, MI

The radar

The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 17, 9:45 PM EDTThunderstorm Wind 52Jackson, MI

NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in. Storm Data before 1996 records only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail.

The nearest sounding before it

Detroit, MI (KFNT), launched 00:00Z, 1.4 hours before the alert went out and 97 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Detroit, MI at 00:00Z on 1986-05-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 306 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Detroit, MI at 00:00Z on 1986-05-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 80 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
306 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-45 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1248 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
14 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
80 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
133 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

The text of this product is not in the archive. The NWS text archive before 2002 is incomplete.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 17, 3:27 PM EDT, 5 hours 59 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
325 PM EDT SAT MAY 17 1986

THE PUBLIC HAS REPORTED A POSSIBLE FUNNEL CLOUD A FEW MILES WEST OF
GRAND RAPIDS.  AT 325 PM WEATHER RADAR INDICATED INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS
OVER SOUTHWEST KENT COUNTY.  ALL PERSONS SHOULD BE ON THE ALERT
FOR POSSIBLE TORNADO DEVELOPMENT AND TAKE COVER IF NECESSARY
COOLEY
Special weather statement, May 17, 3:50 PM EDT, 5 hours 36 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LANSING MI
350 PM EDT SAT MAY 17 1986

...TORNADO WATCH FOR SOUTH CENTRAL LOWER MICHIGAN TILL 9 PM EDT...

AT 345 PM RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM NEAR THE CITY
OF HILLSDALE...IN HILLSDALE COUNTY...TO GRAND RAPIDS MICHIGAN. THE
THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.  A STRONG
THUNDERSTORM WAS 2 MILES SOUTHWEST OF BATTLE CREEK MICHIGAN.

ANOTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING INTO SOUTHWEST EATON COUNTY
NEAR THE CITY OF BELLEVUE.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE STRONG
WINDS AND VERY HEAVY RAIN AS THEY MOVE EAST NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.
FORTUNE
Special weather statement, May 17, 5:57 PM EDT, 3 hours 29 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
555 PM EDT SAT MAY 17 1986

THE PUBLIC HAS REPORTED PEA SIZED HAIL FALLING IN KENTWOOD, A SOUTHERN
SUBERB OF GRAND RAPIDS. WEATHER RADAR INDICATED INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS
OVER SOUTHWEST KENT COUNTY.  ALL PERSONS IN SOUTHERN KENT COUNTY SHOULD
WATCH FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER
STATEMENTS. TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 189 REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF
SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN UNTIL 900 PM EDT.
KERSY
Special weather statement, May 17, 7:40 PM EDT, 1 hour 46 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LANSING MI
736 PM EDT SAT MAY 17 1986

...TORNADO WATCH FOR SOUTH CENTRAL LOWER MICHIGAN TILL 9 PM EDT...
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR CLINTON COUNTY TIL 8PM...

AT 735 PM A FUNNEL CLOUD WAS SIGHT 4 MILES E OF FLOWER MOVING TO
THE NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH. PERSONS LIVING OR IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM
SHOULD TAKE SHELTER IN A REINFORCED BUILDING OR IN AN INTERIOR HALLWAY.
SUTTLE
Local storm report, May 17, 8:34 PM EDT, 52 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND RAPIDS MI
835 PM EDT SAT MAY 17 1986

ALL TIMES EDT...
234  VAN BUREN COUNTY, POSSIBLE FUNNEL CLOUD AT LAWERENCE.
403  KENT COUNTY, PEA SIZED HAIL IN CALEDONIA.
440  MONTCALM COUNTY, FUNNEL CLOUD AT CRYSTAL.
549  KENT COUNTY, PEA SIZED HAIL IN KENTWOOD.
605  ALLEGAN COUNTY, 1/2-3/4 INCH HAIL IN THE CITY OF ALLEGAN.
626  IONIA COUNTY, 1/2-3/4 INCH HAIL IN SARANAC, ROTATING WALL CLOUD.
636  KENT COUNTY, 3/8-1/2 INCH HAIL IN CALEDONIA.
638  KENT COUNTY, 1/2 INCH HAIL IN CALEDONIA.
653  IONIA COUNTY, PEA SIZED HAIL.
658  IONIA COUNTY, WALL CLOUD AND HIGH WINDS NEAR CLARKSVILLE.
726  KENT COUNTY, 3/8 INCH HAIL NEAR CANNONSBURG.

ALL TIMES ARE TIME C,ALL WAS RECIEVED AT WSO GRR, EVENT OCCURRED 5 TO 10
MINUTES BEFORE CALL WAS RECIEVED.
REK
Local storm report, May 17, 9:04 PM EDT, 22 minutes before
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The office that day

Everything else NWS Grand Rapids, MI issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 17, 9:03 PM EDTTornado WarningGRRHillsdale27 min
May 17, 9:51 PM EDTTornado WarningGRRAllegan24 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Michigan, 1986Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1986

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.